From Loop 101 (Pima Freeway) northbound: Take exit 44 (Indian Bend Road) and turn left, proceeding west for approximately 0.6 miles. Turn right at North Pima Road. The ballpark will be located on your right. From Loop 101 (Pima Freeway) southbound: Take exit 43 (Via De Ventura) and turn right, proceeding west for approximately 0.8 miles. Turn left at North Pima Road. The ballpark will be located on your left.

Arizona Diamondbacks Spring Training: Revival in Scottsdale

It’s the only spring-training ballpark to be built on tribal land and the newest facility in the Cactus League. It’s also a great place to take in a game, representing the state of the art in spring-training facilities. Unless you’re truly strapped for time or don’t want to venture past a favorite facility, a visit to Salt River Fields at Talking Stick should be on the agenda for anyone visiting Phoenix for Arizona Diamondbacks spring training action.

For decades, the approach to a spring-training facility was pretty static: there was a main ballpark where games were played, maybe with a couple open fields for practices, drills and minor-league workouts. The widely accepted premise was, if it was good enough for Connie Mack at Fort Myers’ Terry Park in 1925, it was good enough for every other MLB team.

But designers of more recent spring-training facilities have walk away from this model; a new goal for architects and team management is to integrate what fans love about spring training – player access, warmer weather, a relaxed atmosphere – with the daily functionality of the complex. The HKS Sports & Entertainment Group first addressed these issues with Camelback Ranch – Glendale, which opened in 2009, and reinvented them at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick while also extending them further with some local touches. There’s plenty of shade in and around the ballpark in the form of ramadas. And there’s no blocky ballpark exterior wall; fences guide your way.

If it sounds like we recommend a visit to Salt River Fields at Talking Stick: We do, wholeheartedly. A trip to the Cactus League wouldn’t be the same without a trip to a Diamondbacks or Rockies game.